Public Assistance
Federal Public Assistance Program
Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA awards grants to assist state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations with the response to and recovery from disasters. The program provides funding for debris removal, implementation of emergency protective measures and permanent restoration of instrastructure. The program also encourages protection from future damage by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process. The state works with FEMA to manage the program and administer the funding.*
For all disasters declared after Oct. 1, 2012, the State must have sustained the minimum amount of damages statewide (according to FEMA regulations) of $1.37 per capita, or $4,173,506.35, to qualify for Public Assistance funding. Once this statewide minimum has been met, then the qualifying amount of damages per capita in each county must reach at least $3.45.
Typically, damage must first meet the state qualifier before the county qualifier is applied.
Public Assistance: Per Capita Minimum by County (PDF)
COUNTY |
POPULATION (2010) |
PER CAPITA AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|
Adair |
7,682 |
$26,502.90 |
Adams |
4,029 |
$13,900.05 |
Allamakee |
14,330 |
$49,438.50 |
Appanoose |
12,887 |
$44,460.15 |
Audubon |
6,119 |
$21,110.55 |
Benton |
26,076 |
$89,962.20 |
Black Hawk |
131,090 |
$452,260.50 |
Boone |
26,306 |
$90,755.70 |
Bremer |
24,276 |
$83,752.20 |
Buchanan |
20,958 |
$72,305.10 |
Buena Vista |
20,260 |
$69,897.00 |
Butler |
14,867 |
$51,291.15 |
Calhoun |
9,670 |
$33,361.50 |
Carroll |
20,816 |
$71,815.20 |
Cass |
13,956 |
$48,148.20 |
Cedar |
18,499 |
$63,821.55 |
Cerro Gordo |
44,151 |
$152,320.95 |
Cherokee |
12,072 |
$41,648.40 |
Chickasaw |
12,439 |
$42,914.55 |
Clarke |
9,286 |
$32,036.70 |
Clay |
16,667 |
$57,501.15 |
Clayton |
18,129 |
$62,545.05 |
Clinton |
49,116 |
$169,450.20 |
Crawford |
17,096 |
$58,981.20 |
Dallas |
66,135 |
$228,165.75 |
Davis |
8,753 |
$30,197.85 |
Decatur |
8,457 |
$29,176.65 |
Delaware |
17,764 |
$61,285.80 |
Des Moines |
40,325 |
$139,121.25 |
Dickinson |
16,667 |
$57,501.15 |
Dubuque |
93,653 |
$323,102.85 |
Emmet |
10,302 |
$35,541.90 |
Fayette |
20,880 |
$72,036.00 |
Floyd |
16,303 |
$56,245.35 |
Franklin |
10,680 |
$36,846.00 |
Fremont |
7,441 |
$25,671.45 |
Greene |
9,336 |
$32,209.20 |
Grundy |
12,453 |
$42,962.85 |
Guthrie |
10,954 |
$37,791.30 |
Hamilton |
15,673 |
$54,071.85 |
Hancock |
11,341 |
$39,126.45 |
Hardin |
17,534 |
$60,492.30 |
Harrison |
14,928 |
$51,501.60 |
Henry |
20,145 |
$69,500.25 |
Howard |
9,566 |
$33,002.70 |
Humboldt |
9,815 |
$33,861.75 |
Ida |
7,089 |
$24,457.05 |
Iowa |
16,355 |
$56,424.75 |
Jackson |
19,848 |
$68,475.60 |
Jasper |
36,842 |
$127,104.90 |
Jefferson |
16,843 |
$58,108.35 |
Johnson |
130,882 |
$451,542.90 |
Jones |
20,638 |
$71,201.10 |
Keokuk |
10,511 |
$36,262.95 |
Kossuth |
15,543 |
$53,623.35 |
Lee |
35,862 |
$123,723.90 |
Linn |
211,226 |
$728,729.70 |
Louisa |
11,387 |
$39,285.15 |
Lucas |
8,898 |
$30,698.10 |
Lyon |
11,581 |
$39,954.45 |
Madison |
15,679 |
$54,092.55 |
Mahaska |
22,381 |
$77,214.45 |
Marion |
33,309 |
$114,916.05 |
Marshall |
40,648 |
$140,235.60 |
Mills |
15,059 |
$51,953.55 |
Mitchell |
10,776 |
$37,177.20 |
Monona |
9,243 |
$31,888.35 |
Monroe |
7,970 |
$27,496.50 |
Montgomery |
10,740 |
$37,053.00 |
Muscatine |
42,745 |
$147,470.25 |
O'Brien |
14,398 |
$49,673.10 |
Osceola |
6,462 |
$22,293.90 |
Page |
15,932 |
$54,965.40 |
Palo Alto |
9,421 |
$32,502.45 |
Plymouth |
24,986 |
$86,201.70 |
Pocahontas |
7,310 |
$25,219.50 |
Polk |
430,640 |
$1,485,708.00 |
Pottawattamie |
93,158 |
$321,395.10 |
Poweshiek |
18,914 |
$65,253.30 |
Ringgold |
5,131 |
$17,701.95 |
Sac |
10,350 |
$35,707.50 |
Scott |
165,224 |
$570,022.80 |
Shelby |
12,167 |
$41,976.15 |
Sioux |
33,704 |
$116,278.80 |
Story |
89,542 |
$308,919.90 |
Tama |
17,767 |
$61,296.15 |
Taylor |
6,317 |
$21,793.65 |
Union |
12,534 |
$43,242.30 |
Van Buren |
7,570 |
$26,116.50 |
Wapello |
35,625 |
$122,906.25 |
Warren |
46,225 |
$159,476.25 |
Washington |
21,704 |
$74,878.80 |
Wayne |
6,403 |
$22,090.35 |
Webster |
38,013 |
$131,144.85 |
Winnebago |
10,866 |
$37,487.70 |
Winneshiek |
21,056 |
$72,643.20 |
Woodbury |
102,172 |
$352,493.40 |
Worth |
7,598 |
$26,213.10 |
Wright |
13,229 |
$45,640.05 |
TOTAL |
3,046,355 |
$4,173,506.35 |
Presidential Disaster Declaration 4114
(Severe Weather April 9-11, 2013)
There are currently five counties eligible for applying for public assistance at this time as a result of Presidential Disaster Declaration 4114, which was signed on May 6, 2013: Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola and Sioux.
There will be an applicant briefing for prospective applicants from these five counties on Monday, May 13, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. at Prairie Winds Event Center, 908 Eighth St. SE in Orange City. For more information, contact Nathan Huizenga, Sioux County Emergency Management Coordinator, at (712) 737-4010 or (712) 441-6208.
- Click here to view the Fact Sheet for DR-4114 (PDF)
- Click here to view/download the Applicant Briefing presentation (PDF)
- Click here to view/download the FEMA Request for Public Assistance (Excel)
- Click here to view/download the State of Iowa Public Assistance Program application documents (Excel)
- Click here to view/download the disaster map (PDF)
Private Non-Profit Assistance
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may provide low-interest federal loans to private nonprofit organizations (PNPs) that provide essential services of a governmental nature after a disaster. Interested PNPs begin the process by first registering with FEMA. FEMA determines if the PNPs qualify for a grant under FEMA's Public Assistance program, or if they will be referred to the SBA to apply for a low-interest federal disaster loan.
The SBA may lend PNPs up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. The SBA may also lend additional funds that help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent, or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.
For certain PNPs, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by disaster. EIDLs may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster's impact. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the nonprofit suffered any property damage.
At this time, private nonprofit organizations in the following counties may apply for assistance by first registering with FEMA: Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola and Sioux.
The deadline to return property damage applications is July 5, 2013.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 6, 2014.
To begin the process, register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) or visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
HSEMD Public Assistance Contacts
For those applicants who currently have open projects from previous disasters and require assistance, please see the map for Public Assistance Contacts, or email one of the contacts below:
- Area 1: Bruce Riesberg (Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Floyd, Grundy, Howard, Jackson, Jones, Mitchell and Winneshiek counties)
- Area 2A: Jerald Ballanger (Cedar, Clinton, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Jefferson, Johnson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Wapello and Washington counties)
- Area 2B: Larry Gioffredi (Benton and Linn counties)
- Area 3: Jim Wiese (Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Dallas, Decatur, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Harrison, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Shelby, Tama, Taylor, Union, Warren, Wayne counties)
- Area 4: Scott Stanley (Buena Vista, Boone, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Ida, Kossuth, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Story, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth, Wright counties)
- Drainage Districts/Utilities: Jim Berg
- State Agencies/Private Non-Profit Agencies: Dan Egnor

*The "large project" threshold for disasters declared after Oct. 1, 2012, is $67,500.








